2.3 An Invisible Bench

(Aman walks on stage and squats down as if he is sitting on a bench that is invisible. Beena walks up to Aman.)

Beena : What are you doing?

Aman : I’m sitting on this invisible bench.

Beena : Can I join you?

Aman : Sure.

(Aman gets up, moves to one side. Both Aman and Beena sit down on the bench, when Chanda walks up to them.)

Chanda : What are you doing?

Aman and Beena : We are sitting on this invisible bench.

Chanda : Can I join you ? Aman and Beena : Sure.

(Aman and Beena get up, move to one side. All three sit down again when Dinesh and Ekta walk up to them.)

Dinesh and Ekta : What are you guys doing ?

Aman, Beena, Chanda : We are sitting on this invisible bench. Dinesh and

Ekta : Can we join you ? Aman, Beena and Chanda : Sure.

(They get up, move a little to one side. All five children sit down forming a line.)

(Farukh walks on stage…….. .)

Farukh : What are you guys doing?

All others : Just sitting here on this invisible bench.

Farukh : No you aren’t ! (Points) I moved the bench over there.

All others : Oh, no ! (They all fall down.)

Farukh : Ha, ha !

Aman : Let’s do that again. (The first five children move to one side and then sit down again.)

Farukh : What are you guys doing?

All others : Just sitting here on this invisible bench.

Farukh : No you aren’t. (Points) I moved the bench over there yesterday.

Aman : But I moved it back here this morning !

Farukh : Then it’s all right. Can I join you ?

Aman : Sure. (They all sit down in a line.)

Farukh : I have an idea. Let’s start again.

(Gets up, walks away and runs up to the children again.)

Farukh : What are you guys doing?

All others : Sitting on this invisible bench.

Farukh : Oh, no ! I had just finished painting that bench !

All others : AAAAGH ! (Stand up and wipe the imaginary paint off their back sides.)

Aman : Let’s do that again.

All others : OK.

(Aman, Beena, Chanda, Dinesh, Ekta sit down on the imaginary bench. Farukh gets up, walks away and comes back again.)

Farukh : What are you guys doing ?

All others : Sitting on this invisible bench.

Farukh : Oh, no! I had just finished painting that bench!

Aman : Oh, that’s ok. We all have our invisible paint suits on.

(All stand up, unzip the front of their imaginary suits and step out. Then they begin to fold the invisible suits.)

Farukh : I have another idea. (Walks away and comes back again.)

Farukh : What are you guys doing?

All others : We are moving this invisible bench.

Farukh : I heard they are serving invisible cakes in that hall there –

(All throw down the invisible bench and run in the direction of the hall. Farukh follows.)